Salmon not the only seafood to cost more in recent years.
King prawns, squid, sea bass, oysters, starfish, European flying squid and perch. Glisteningly fresh, locally caught and a temptation for taste buds. A rich assortment of seafood on display meets shoppers at Arkadia Foodstore in the seaside town of St. Julians on Malta.
But silvery, farmed salmon are noticeable by their absence. As with sea-fresh, locally caught, bluefin tuna, loins and sliced salmon fillets are kept in separate glass showcases and refrigerated display counters.
Every day
Norwegian farmed salmon are nonetheless a favourite among customers that frequent the grocery store.
According to the assistant at the seafood counter, they sell salmon every day.
When asked by Salmon Business if he’s not put off by rapidly rising salmon prices, he quickly replies:
“No, it was cheap last year. Now it’s normal. When I started here last year, the price was 15 euro. Now it’s 25”.
There’s undoubtedly been a pronounced rise in price, but not exorbitantly relative to prawns and squid that are competing for the same spot in customers’ shopping baskets.
Salmon isn’t the only seafood that has climbed in price the last few years.
Yields
While fresh-packed skin and bone-free salmon fillets from Lerøy Aurora are being offered at 25 euro per kilo in the refrigerated display counter, fresh-from-the-sea king prawns are retailing for 28 euro and squid for 31 euro.
The exhibition’s elegantly presented seafood is sold whole, with skin, bone or shell, in contrast to the salmon. The prices here are thus considerably higher after adjustment has been made for yields.
